When the government entity making decisions also controls the notification process, that independence disappears. Notices could be altered, added, or removed after the fact, particularly when controversial decisions are involved. Even the possibility that this could occur undermines public confidence in government.

For most of this nation’s 250-year history, legislatures have entrusted public notices to independent newspapers for precisely that reason.

Research also raises concerns about shifting notices to government websites. When Florida allowed some local governments to move public notices from newspapers to their county websites, researchers from Yale, the University of Chicago, and Texas A&M found that public awareness and civic engagement dropped significantly. When notices were scattered across government websites, fewer people saw them and fewer participated in the process. That’s bad public policy.

There are also practical considerations. Many municipalities already struggle to comply with Right-to-Know Law requirements and other transparency obligations. Allowing agencies to create and manage their own public notice systems adds another administrative burden, one with significant potential consequences. If a notice is posted incorrectly, removed too soon, or missed entirely, the public may learn about a decision only after it is made, and the agency could face costly litigation.

By contrast, when notices are published in newspapers, the law requires notarized proof of publication verifying the process and the independence of the publisher, a permanent record admissible in court. That safeguard protects taxpayers and reduces disputes over whether public notice was properly given.

Government agencies are free to share notices on their websites or social media pages. But those efforts should supplement, not replace, publication through an independent third-party newspaper.

Pennsylvania should modernize public notices without abandoning the independent system that has protected transparency and public participation for generations.

Lawmakers should support House Bill 1291 and reject any proposal that would allow government agencies to control the public notice process.

SHARON SORG | CNHI newspapers

Sharon Sorg is publisher of The Herald (Sharon) Allied News (Grove City), and New Castle News as well as executive vice president of newspaper operations for CNHI. She also serves as chairwoman of the Pennsylvania NewsMedia Association Board of Directors.